Shelf and container for refrigerator cabinets



F. R. ECK

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

rum: 4. EcK

v. A TTORIVEYJ Nov. 10, I953 SHELF AND CONTAINER FOR REFRIGERATOR CABINETS Filed July 16. 1951 Y 4 8 0 M w 9 h V 4 o z 1 o s s 9 s l i M; 5 :2 4

Patented Nov. 10, 1953 SHELF AND CONTAINER FOR REFRIG- ERATOR CABINETS Floyd R. Eck, Des Plaines, Ill., assignor to Motors Products Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of New York Application July 16, 1951, Serial No. 237,017

13 Claims. "(01. 257-3) This invention relates generally to refrigerator cabinets of the type having a door and a refrigerated compartment.

It is an object of this invention to locate within the refrigerated compartment of the cabinet a container having provision for maintaining the contents thereof at a predetermined temperature above that existing within the refrigerated compartment. Thus for example butter may be maintained at the preferred spreading temperature even though the temperature within the refrigerated compartment is maintained far below the spreading temperature.

It is another object of this invention to support the container on a shelf having an inverted substantially U-shaped portion for receiving the container and having horizontal portions on which articles to be cooled may be supported.

It isstill another object of this invention to provide an upstanding wall at the front edge of the shelf having an opening providing clearance for the closure of the container and constructed to serve as a retainer to maintain articles on the shelf. 7

It is a further object of this invention to support the shelf on the inner door panel which may be bowed in a direction toward the outer panel of the door to provide a recess for receiving at least a portion of the shelf.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a shelf of the above general type molded or otherwise produced in one piece from a suitable plastic, for example.

It is another object of this invention to removably support the container within the inverted U-shaped portion of the shelf on the inner door panel in a manner such that air in the refrigerated compartment may pass upwardly through the open bottom of the U-shaped portion and circulate around the container.

It is still a further object of this invention to support a thermostatically controlled heater and regulating means therefor on the bottom wall of the container.

The foregoing as well as other objects will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a refrigerator cabinet structure showing the door in its open position;

Figure 2 is a sectional view takenon the line 2-2 of F gu 1;

Figure 3;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the closure provided for the access opening in the butter conditioner or container; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view taken substantially on the plane indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 3.

The numeral H) in Figure 1 of the drawings indicates a part of a refrigerator cabinet having a storage compartment I I and an evaporator I2 supported within the compartment II adjacent the top of the latter in a position to cool air circulating within the compartment II. Refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator I2 by apparatus well known in the art, and not shown herein. The cabinet I 0 has an access opening in the front wall and a door I 3 is hinged at one side edge to the cabinet for closing the access opening. As shown in Figure 2 of the drawings the door I3has an outer panel I4, an inner panel I5 spaced laterally from the outer panel, and

heat insulating material I6 housed within the space between the panels. The inner panel I5 is preferably formed of a plastic heat insulating material, and is embossed in a direction toward the outer panel I4 to form a recess [1 having a width approximating the width of the door I3 and having a length approximating the length of the door.

Supported within the refrigerated compartment II at a convenient elevation is a shelf [8 and a closed container I 9. The shelf I 8 is molded or otherwise formed in one piece from a suitable plastic material, and the container I 9 is preferably formed of sheet metal.

As shown particularly in Figures 2 and 9 of the drawings, the shelf l8 has an inverted substantially U-shaped portion 20 intermediate the ends thereof and has horizontal article support ing portions 2| extending laterally from the bottom edges of opposite side walls 22 of the inverted U-shaped portion 20. It will be noted from Figure 1 of the drawings that the shelf portions 2| are turned downwardly along the rear edges thereof to provide reinforcing flanges 23, and the latter are connected at spaced points to the undersides of the shelf portions 2| by transversely extending reinforcing ribs 24. A wall 25 extends upwardly from the front edge of the shelf l8, and the central part of this wall has a height approximating the height of the U- shaped portion 20. The portions of the wall 25 at opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped portion 20 form retainer rails 26 which serve to hold articles in placeon the shelf portion 2.l and are reduced somewhat in height at opposite ends of the shelf l8, as clearly shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The bottom of the shelf I8 between the opposite side walls 22 of the inverted U- shaped portion is open to permit free passage of air into the U-shaped portion 20, and the front wall 25 of the shelf has r pening 2'] there through in registration with thefront side of the U-shaped portion 20.

The container 13 has an access opening 28 through the front wall and is provided with top, side, bottom and rear walls 29, 30, 3| are? spectively. The top wa1l'29 is shown in Figure 3 ofeihe win a eehhee ei is ih ieer wall tyatuiedsbnon"as, and the b ottgm wall 131 is m s e izhevi e sh 1 E edieie 's "eh'eh he 2h. Th Miieh .ei the "bettom e511 "3| rearwardly of the shoulder serves e l il er a hi ter di h .3 n th 121. pbs "of ithe shoulder is to prevent M N movement of the butter dish out of the cont ner.

The access ehih ii ih i he h hi W ll ei 'i h i is elesei by e sh eilmete rieer e5 siiiihe'ried'eh' eeh eiher e r ii veiei movem n to Open eh elesee hesiiiehsh sher i iii iil e' heheii he ears 3! hiiei'ee e iwardly from opposite side edges of the closure 36 n extend h s the eeh a h 1.9 threii h h acees'si iieh e; The ifee ehi s .ef he ears .3!

sp riiiai' ti h heii'ieeesse 39 and p ns .40 are iesiieeiiiiely eiired 9 es esite ide We ls. e". 9 ee ie h Li 'ih'hesi ehs. eiie isier'wii the c ss e 'The ihei eh sei (the n re i e i' 's ei hei se t w th n the reee es 39 formed in'theears 3ft. Therecesses 39 n} i e iie i' ihs. ar h i l lm fil iii eisieii ibpi viiie ii ve i e hheeiie fe the eie i ire 3h The a ie h ht is s eh that. Whe he deer 3V6 isswun'g toits'open psi n, thetgp. ed e of thefddof 3fiswings' rearwardly into th upper i hei l ehih he li .ehsi he h item dge sw ie feiivehily he hii ihe T-Q !2 well hi the hi l h' Th 'i whee t e eei i5 s'iii' it eiieii h h' ihe his-h ead ee es ihle iiii iii-e 'ihei i rehi the eehiei ei i9 ihre ieh the eIe esse eh he i 1h e er s leei he iht iiei ii t e eeiiie her I9, a thermostatically controlled electrig heating ehiehi 4 is nrerieled, T h e i 'elemei t M is e iiie s. hese ei wen i ei e i e hei,

'9 b a Piee fl-he he e fishes 4 elded er r s e ii te he-hei eiii el 3is sh w p ih eil iii i r e. er the draw mes? one side edge i the i ehee 4.3 s i ei d hwehi i' she iheh lat all t ev e e she whi h e e ii s e h i' 43 ii erhee peeeel r eiieheh T r en of he f nge '4 is iiiihed dow wardl ii Pie d e e, 4 d his he welded i e'i eiiee- 4 w h e e ow wa dly h ih th 'i hi' e iee of h he ee h ie e e e Eieii e end of the e fii es wil he heiee ihe ih ehee s hes e her ieh eihhess si upwa d e ere ide e ph rehy sha ed eiiii ii 1 w i h e is w t he hesieii eiiy eei i reiie i hee he elemen 41 bossed forwardly from the flange 46. The but- 4 to removably hold the latter in position between the flanges 43 and 44 respectively.

The thermostatically controlled heating element M is regulated to obtain various predetermined temperature within the container I9 by a thermostat 48. As shown in Figure 6 of the drawings the housing 49 of the thermostat 5;; has lateral f langesiil q which is engageable with'the front side of the flange 4 :6 of the bracket 42, and has openings 50 at opposite ends respectively registering with suitable buttons '5! em- .ZOXLS i5! project into the openings 50 and the two plates are held in this position by spring plipsgz. {lheclips fl are generally U-shaped ,ooristr uctiqn and respectively straddle oppositeedges of the flanges 49' and flange 46 to prevent accidentalflisengagement of the latter. Howvr removal ofthe thermostat may be readily accomplished by merely detaching the spring clips 52. 'The thermostat is adjusted by a conl 21 9 9 PRQ. 1 Q. e lieeeht fr t si 6f h i'eeh hihe l fi :he pi the hetteih el hi and connected to the the rmgstat 4 by alshaft 54 Thus it will bengteginterior of i ee fi f eJhe l esi to and ma accidental i-i -i ii esiei r that existing fin the par'tmentll1' V e l V a ll i eheiehs. i th eeht i er 1. e

predetermineddo permit. supporting conl temperatu a v igerated storage .coma

I iw ihii he "eei iiies .Sif the iii erieii shaped portion 20 on the shelf 18,-

thisleonr nection-it will benoted that wh en thecpntainer is in position within the inverted p shapedpor tion 20, the door 36 registers with the opening 21 in the front'wal-l 2-5 on the shelf l8,, an.d this Opening i of s ffi ehir h ehsie te. rmit urilm m if. the 9. .36.- vI wi lel be noted h h i le fl f QIhFi hre 3. 9 he drawin s thatjt ep ct ei 7. 5, giihle We'll Z5 which X- tends across the bottom of the opening 3] is stepped rearwardly to provide a shoulder 56' and an 'upstanding flang'e 57. 'he bottom wall 3| of the. container '19 has a downturned flange 58 which extends along the front side of the flange i and eatsen the shoulder as. 11-, will also be hehedi heii he 59; W h ,ehtfihdefeeewariily f o t bottom edge thereof and is slotted to provide clearance for the control knob 53 ofthe thermostat.

Referrin eeeihie Figur -3 i -th drawin it will be hate that the o t on 60 o h fr m el 25 eisieh l iis ei ess the the e ihe O n 21 has rearwardly extending lugs 6i spaced below his Well i 911 then-shaped ertieh .2 Th s a s ee ii eiereily item o h r en er e th i ei p Well 7.6? te re ve t front edge portion of the top wall ils of the CQn-e tainer I9; The container T9 is frictionally held in position by projections fi 3j'extending downs.

tion- 5i hasa'rein-forcing flange However in the B ee h? the. she f i8: is wn as secure r to the inner panel ii of the door [3, and it will benotedfrom Figure 2 of the drawings that a substantial portion of this shelf is accommodated by therecess l1 formed in the inner panel l5 of the door. For securing the shelf to the door a plurality of projections are formed on the rear side of the shelf, and these projections extend through registering openings in the inner door panel 15., Suitable friction nuts 68 cooperate with the projections 61' to rigidly clamp the shelf [8 in place.

When the shelf l8, together with the container, is mounted on the inner panel N5 of the door, it will be noted that the rear wall 32 of the container is spaced some distance from the inner door panel 15. Also the top and side walls of the container 19 are respectively spaced laterally from the top and side walls of the inverted U-shaped portion 20. As pointed out above the bottom of the shelf is open below the inverted U-shaped portion 28 so that refrigerated air in the storage compartment may circulate over the walls of the container 19.

In order to protect the electrical terminals employed for the heating unit 4|, a plate is secured to the inner door panel l5 directly below the container l9. It will be noted from Figure 9 that the plate (0 has the opposite ends H turned upwardly to form an effective shield for the electrical apparatus. However the plate 10 has an overall length less than the width of the container I9 so as not to interefere with the flow of refrigerated air upwardly around the container l 9. Referring again to Figure 3 of the drawings, it will be noted that the rear end of the plate '10 has a projection 12 which extends through a slot 13 in the inner door panel I5. The front edge of the plate 70 is turned upwardly and forwardly to provide a flange 14 which seats on the flange 59, and is slotted to provide clearance for the thermostat control knob 53.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a refrigerator cabinet having a refrigerated compartment and having a wall forming one wall of the compartment, a shelf supported on said wall and extending into the compartment, said shelf having a vertically extending inverted U-shaped part open at the bottom of the shelf to admit air circulating within said compartment and also open at the side of the shelf facing the interior of the compartment, a container supported by the shelf within the U-shaped part and having an access opening registering with the open side of the U-shaped part, a closure for the access opening mounted on the container for movement to open and closed positions, and,

means for varying the temperature of the atmosphere within said container.

2. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein said shelf has article supporting portions projecting laterally from opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped part adjacent the bottom of the latter.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the container has a bottom wall extending across the open bottom of the inverted U-shaped part and wherein the temperature varying means comprises a heater supported in heat transfer relationship to the bottom wall, and a thermostat for controlling the operation of said heater.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the container has side and top walls spaced from the corresponding walls of the inverted U-shaped part to provide a passage for air around said container.

5. The structure defined in claim 1 wherein the container is insertable into the inverted U- shaped part through the open side of the latter and means removably securing the container within the inverted U-shaped part.

6. The structure defined in claim 2 wherein said shelf is of one-piece plastic material and has a wall extending upwardly from the inner edge at opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped part for retaining articles in position on said horizontal portions.

7. In a refrigerator cabinet, a storage compartment having cooling means supported therein adjacent the top thereof and having an access opening, a door for the access opening and having an inner wall, a shelf supported on said wall and extending into the storage compartment below the cooling means, said shelf having a vertically extending inverted substantially U-shaped part open at the bottom of the shelf to receive air passing upwardly toward the cooling means and also open at the side of the shelf facing the interior of the storage compartment, a closed container supported by the shelf within the U- shaped part and having an access opening registering with the open side of the U-shaped part, and a closure for the access opening in said container mounted on the container for movement to open and closed positions.

8. The structure defined in claim 7 wherein the shelf extends transversely of the door and. has horizontal article supporting portion which extend laterally outwardly from opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped part at the bottom of the latter.

9. The structure defined in claim 7 wherein the container has an outer wall spaced laterally from the inner wall of the door and also has top and side walls spaced from the adjacent walls of the inverted U-shaped part to provide a passage for air around the container.

10. The structure defined in claim 8 comprising a wall extending upwardly from the inner edge of the shelf at opposite sides of the inverted U-shaped part to form guards for retaining articles in position on the horizontal portions of the shelf.

11. In a refrigerator cabinet, a refrigerated storage compartment having an access opening and having a door for the access opening, a supporting member mounted on the inner side of the door and having a vertically extending inverted U-shaped part projecting into the storage compartment into the closed position of the door, said inverted U-shaped part being open at the bottom and also being open at the inner side facing the interior of the compartment, a closed container removably mounted on the supporting member within the inverted Li -shaped part and having an access opening at the inner side registering with the open inner Side of the inverted U-shaped part, a closure for the acce s opening mounted on the container for movement to open and closed positions, and means for maintaining the temperature within the container above the temperature within the refrigerated compartment.

12. The structure defined in claim 11 wherein the container has top and side walls respectively spaced laterally from the adjacent walls of the inverted U-shaped part to provide a passage for air around the container.

13. The structure defined in claim 11 wherein the outer wall of the container is spaced lat- 7 8 erally from the adjacent inner side of the door Numbpr V 7 Name 7 ,Date J to provide an air space which communicates 1,36%),091' Fitr Feb. I921 With the spaceiprovided' afi the sides and top 2,303,806 Wild De'c. 1, 1942 of the container. 7 2,412,904; Money 17, 1946 FLOYD R. ECK. 5 2,501,540 Ryan Mar; 21,1950 H v 2,562,057 Norb'erg July 24', 1951 Eefe'rence's- Cited in the file of thispatent I H v V UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGIT PATENTS" 7 Number Na 'e' Date' Number v un r 7 Date 267,658 Bourdr n -.a Nov. 14, 1 10 578573 Great- Bntain T July 3 .1936- 

